Car-mover



F. A. KELL.

CAR HOVER. APPLICATION man scrrlzs. 1920.

1,401,411. hmmm 27,1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK A. KELL, VOIF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ON E-FOURTH T0 W. C.

` DAVISON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CAR-HOVER.

To all 'whom t Imay concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. Kenn, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis, `State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Car-Movers, of which the following s a specification, reference being had to theaecompanying drawing, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates generally to rail- Way appliances and, more particularly, to a certain new and useful improvement in carmovers, the chief objects of my present in vention being to provide a car-mover which is adapted to seat upon the rail and which comprises actuable members for gripping the wheel and Vimparting a turning or rotary movement thereto, to provide a carmover which is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, convenient in use, adapted for selective location upon either rail, and efficient in operation, and to improve upon and `simplify the construction of car-movers generally.

. With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arranvement, and combination of parts hereinafterl described and afterward pointed out in the claims.

In the accompan ing drawing,

\ `Iligure 1 is a si e elevational view of a car-mover embodying my invention, the same being shown operatively arranged upon a rail and in connection with a carwheel "to be moved;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the car-mover;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the carfmover Seated upon a rail shown in section; and

Figs 4 and 5 are detail transverse sectional views taken on the lines 1 -4 `and .fi-5, respectively,` of Fig. 2.

Referring now more in detail to the said drawing, in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several views, `my new car-mover comprises a base 1 preferably in the form of a suitably elongated rectangular oblong plate of suitable Width to conveniently seat upon the`standard rail R, base-plate 1 being preferably provided at and along its opposite side margins with `downwardly presented ftanges 2-1-2 adaptedto prevent sidewise slipping of the car-mover when seated upon the rail. Integral with,` or otherwise rigidly fixed to,

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec, 27, 1921.

Application led September 29, 1920. `Serial No. 413,561.

and rising from, the baseplate 1, are suitably spaced standards l Supported at its ends by the standards 3, is a pintle It, and hingedly or pivotally mounted intermediate their length upon the pintle Il for swinging movement between and relatively to the standards 3, is a pair of spaced suitably elongated Inebers or, as I shall call them, fingers 5 5, which are cut away adjacent their forward ends and upon their inner faces and thereby provided or formed with Oppositely inclined or obliquely disposed cam-surfaces 6-6, for purposes shortly appearing, the inner faces of the fingers 5 to the rear of the cam-surfaces 6 being preferably straight, as seen in Fig. 4.

The fingers 55 are provided or formed at their forward ends with bfurcated or forked extensions 7 7, which project forwardly beyond the cam-faces 6, as seen in Lig. 2. Supported. at its end by the extensions 7, is a second pintle 8, and hingedly or pivotally mounted upon the pintle 8 for swinging movement intermediate the fingerextensions 7, is a shoe 9 having a working or wheel-engaging face 10 lengthwise arcuated to conformi to the curvature of the standard car-wheel lV. The shoe 9 is provided upon each side with a pair of outwardly projecting lateral pins 11, which are adapted to freely extend through suitable apertures provided transversely in socalled auxiliary shoes 12-12 also hingedly or `pivotally mounted upon the pintle 8 for swinging movement in the bifurcations of the respective finger-extensions 7 and. each also provided with a working-face 13 preferably arcuated to similarly conform to the curvature of the car-wheel W, the pins 11, while freely permitting movement of the auxiliary shoes 12 laterally away from or toward the central or main shoe 9, maintaining the auxiliary shoes 12 and main Shoe 9 in proper operative or wheel-gripping relation. By so arranging or duplicating the auxiliary shoes 12 upon each side of the main or central shoe 9, it will be evident thatV the car-mover may be selectively located and operatively employed upon each rail of a standard track, one or the other of the shoes 12, asthe car-mover ma be located either on the right or left rai being adapted to cooperate with the main shoe 9 n gripping the flange of the wheel W; and

for facilitating gripping engagement between either oi the shoes l2 and the shoe 9 with the wheel W, the inner margin oi each working-tace 13 and both margins of the working-tace 10 are preferably beveled, as best seen in Fig. 2.

Inter-posed between, and preferably ot somewhat greater dimension vertically than, the lingers 5 5, and also hingedly or pivotally mounted intermediate its length upon the pintle 4, as best in Figs, Q and 4, is a `cam-member 14 forming part ot a suitably elongated rearwardly projecting oper-- ating lever 15, the cam-portion having its side 'aces suitably cut away or inclined, as at 16-l6, for engaging the inner faces ot the fingers 5*5, for purposes shortly appearing. At its forward end, the cam-portion 14 of the lever 15 is provided with an extension 17 formed at its sides with oppositely disposed oblique or cam-faces 18-18 for cooperation with the cam-faces 6 6 of the fingers 5.

Inuse or operation, the car-mover is seated upon either right or left rail, as may selectively be desired, and slidabl;v moved thereupon to project shoe 9 into engagement with the tread tace of the wheel N to be moved, or into'what I may describe as normal operating position. As so located, and assuming that the ear-mover has been seated on the right rail B, the -flange lV ot' the wheel will fit or project into the space provided between the main shoe 9 and the leithand auxiliary shoe 12, Should it be found necessary in so operatively positioning` the car-mover to increase the space between the shoes 9 and 12 in order that the wheel-flange may be iirmly gripped, the lever-handle 15 is swung upwardly, whereupon lever-extension 17 is moved downwardly, whereby, through the cam-engagement between the coperating faces 18 and 6, the iingei`- extensions 7 are forcibly spreae apart and the auxiliary shoe 12 moved laterally relatively to the main or central shoe 9. The :Flange W of the wheel. being so accommodated, downward pressure is now exerted upon the lever 15, whereupon spreading force between the finger-extensions I is iirst removed, and then, as lever 15 is forced downwardly, the cam-portion 14 thereof engages at its canraees 16 with the fingers 5 and forces or spreads apart the major portions or'I the lingers 5 lying to the rear oi the pintle 4 and, at the same time, forces the finger-extensions 7 to move toward each other. ln such movement of the finger-extensions the particular auxiliary shoe 12 is cor respondingly forced toward the main, or relatively fixed, shoe 9 and the wheel-nan ge "W thereby firmly gripped by and between the auxiliary shoe 12 and the main shoe 9, and I may here state that, as seen in F 2 the-beveled margins of the several shoes m ay be corrugated or roughened to increase the gripping engagement between the shoes and the wheel. )n downward pressure upon the lever 15 being continued, the lingerextensions are swung upwardly on the pivot 4, the several shoes S) and 12, engaging both the trezdiace oil the wheel and the flange thereof` correspondingly swung upwardly, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. l, and a turning movement upon its own axis iniparted to the engaged or gripped wheel. Upon downward pressure upon lever 15 being th-en removed, spreading 'torce upon `the ingers 5 is released, the auxiliary shoe 12 moved laterally away from the central shoe 9, and both the shoes E) and l2 disengaged 'from the wheel, when the earmover may be again actuated into so-ealled normal position relatively to the wheel W for imparting further rotary or turning movement thereto as here described.

I am aware that changes in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination ot the several parts o' my new car-1noiu r may be made and substituted :tor those herein shown and desi-ribelli without departing JJoin the nature and principle of my invention.

-l'aving thus described my invention, what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat-ent is:

1. A car-mover including, in combina.- tion, a base adapted to seat upon a rail, an operating lever mounted ior swinging movement upon and relatively to the base, and a plurality of members pivotally carried by the lever` for engagement with the car-wheel and its flange. one ot said members being adapted tor engagement upon the tread-face of the wheel.

2. A car mover including, in combination, a base adapted to seat upon a rail, an operating lever mounted ttor swinging movement upon and relatively to the base, and u plu rality of shoes pivotally carried by the lever ior engagement with the car-wheel and its flange, one ot the shoes being adapted for engagement upon, and arcuated to conform to`r the tread-tace of the wheel.

3. n car-mover comprising, in combination, a base adapted to seat upon a rail, a pair ot wheel-engaging` members, and means mounted on the base and having connection with the wheel-engaging members tor actuating the same to engage the wheel and its flange for imparting a turning` movement thereto. one ot the wheel-engaging members being adapted for engagement upon the tread-tace ot the wheel.

4. A car-mover comprising, in combination, a base adapted to seat upon a rail. a pair ot fingers mounted for movement upon and relatively to the base. wheel-engaging members swingably carried by the fingers, and means for actuating the iingers to cause the wheel-engaging members to engage the Wheel and its flange for imparting a turning movement thereto, one of the wheel-engaging members bein adapted for engagement upon the treadace o1 the wheell 5. A car-mover comprising, in combination, a base adapted to seat upon a rail, a pair of fingers hinged upon the base, wheelengaging shoes mounted for swinging movement on the fingers, and a lever pivoted upon the base for actuating the fingers to cause the shoes to engage the wheel and its flange for impartinY a turning movement thereto, one of the W eel-engaging members being adapted for engagement upon the tread-face of the wheel.

6. A car-mover comprising, in combination, a base adapted to seat upon a rail, a pair of spaced fingers hinged upon the base, wheel-engaging shoes mounted for swinging movement on the fingers, and a lever pivoted upon the base and having a cam-portion disposed between the fingers for actuating the fingers both laterally and swingably to cause the shoes to grip the wheel and impart a turning movement thereto.

7. A car-mover comprising, in combina-` tion, a base adapted to seat upon a rail, a pair of spaced fingers hinged upon the base, a plurality of wheel-engaging shoes mounted independently for swinging movement on the fingers, a lever pivoted upon the base and having a cam-portion disposed between the fingers for actuating the fingers both laterally and swingably to cause the shoes to grip the wheel and impart a turning movement thereto, and means for maintaining the shoes in operative relation throughout their movements.

8. A car-mover comprising, in combination, a base adapted to seat upon a rail, a pair of spaced fingers hinged upon the base, a pair of wheel engaging shoes mounted independently for swinging movement upon the fingers, a lever pivoted upon the base and having a cam-portion disposed between the fingers for actuating the fingers both laterally and swingably to cause the shoes to grip the wheel and impart a turning movement thereto, and pins on one of the shoes loosely engaging the other shoe for maintaining the shoes in operative relation throughout their movement.

9. A car-mover comprising, in combination, a base adapted to seat upon a rail, a pair of spaced fingers hinged upon the base, wheel-engaging shoes mounted for swinging movement upon the fingers, and a lever pivoted upon the base and having cam-portions for actuating the fingers to cause the shoes to engage the wheel and its fiange for imparting a turning movement thereto and to then release the wheel, one of the wheelengaging members being adapted for engagement upon the tread-face of the wheel.

10. A car-mover comprising, in combination, a base adapted to seat upon a rail, a pair of fingers hinged upon the base, a main wheel-engaging shoe mounted for swinging movement upon the fingers, auxiliary wheelengaging shoes also mounted vfor swinging movement upon the fingers, the auxiliary shoes being disposed upon opposite sides of the main shoe, whereby the car-mover may be selectively located for operation upon either rail, and a lever pivoted upon the base for actuating the fingers to cause one or the other of the auxiliary shoes to coperate with the main shoe to grip the wheel and impart a turning movement thereto.

11. A car-mover comprising, in combination, a base adapted to seat upon a rail, a pair of fingers hinged upon the base, bifurcated extensions on the fingers, a main wheel-engaging shoe mounted for swinging movement upon and intermediate the extensions, an auxiliary wheel-engaging shoe mounted for swinging movement upon and intermediate the bifurcations of each extension, whereby the car-mover may be selectively located for operation upon either rail, and a lever pivoted upon the base for actuating the fingers to cause one or the other of the auxiliary shoes to cooperate with the main shoe to grip the wheel and impart a turning movement thereto.

12. A car-mover comprising, in combination, a base adapted to seat upon a rail, a pair of spaced fingers hinged upon the base, bifurcated extensions on the fingers, a main wheel-engaging shoe mounted for swinging movement upon and intermediate the extensions, an auxiliary wheel-engaging shoe mounted for swinging movement upon and intermediate the bifurcations of each extension, whereby the car-mover may be selectively located for operation upon either rail. a lever pivoted upon the base and having a cam-portion disposed between the fingers for actuating the fingers to cause one or the other of the auxiliary shoes to coperate with the main shoe to grip the wheel and impart a turning movement thereto, and an extension on the lever adapted for camwise engagement with the fingers to actuate the finger-extensions to cause said main and auxiliary shoes to release the wheel.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my `name to this specification.

FRANK A. KELL. 

